Improvement in sewing boots and shoes



3 Sheets Sheet 1. J'-. STEIN.

Sewing Machine for Sewing Boots and Shoes.

No. 113,593. v V Patented April 11, 1871.

mrA/essss I A/rdk H 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. Q M. 'J. STEIN.

Sewing Machine for Sewing Boots and Shqes. I

No. 113,593. Patented April 11. 1871'.

UNITED STATES MICHAEL J. STEIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PATENT QFFIGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 113,593, dated April111, 1871.

for sewing the uppers to the soles of shoes and boots, having myimprovements applied to it; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3,

a top view of the same. Figs. 4 and 5 are side and bottom views of theneedle and cast-off, with their stocks connected. Figs. 6, 7, and 8represent side, front, and back elevations of the rests for guidingtheneedle, shown in connection with the guide and the stock by which theyare connected with the sewing mechanism. Figs. 9 and 10 are an elevationand section of a flue and thread-guides used in the machine; Fig. 11, adiagram showing the curve of the sole on which the rests act; and Figs.12 and 13, a plan and side elevation of the lastholder.

The same letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures. 7

My said invention relates to improvements on machinery for sewing theuppers to the soles of shoes and boots.

Theinvention consists, tirst,in certain means i for securing the last tothe carriage, consisting the upper in position, in certain means wherebythe operator is enabled to adjust its position with the thumb andfinger, while his hand rests upon the movable plate, to which the sewingmechanism is attached. 'Fourthly, the invention embraces, in combinationwith a selfadapting plate, to which the sewing mechanism is attached,certain mechanism for holding the said plate in a fixed position at thetime the needle enters the sole, and for liberating it, so that it maybe self-adapting to the undulations of the sole during the feed ingmotion. Fifthly, the invention consists in so suspending theself-adapting rests as that they may be made conjointly adjustable, insuch manner as that they may be set higher or lower, to adapt them tolasts of different sizes and curvatures.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, 0 represents a suitable frame,and b a movable table, on which the last-holder rests and moves. Thistable is fiat and fitted to slide up and down on the vertical posts ofthe frame, and

' rests on four eccentric rollers, 17, arranged in pairs on parallelshafts e, and coupled byjointlinksf, so that by turning the one shaftthe several eccentrics operate in unison to set the table higher orlower, tosuit shoes and lasts of different sizes, as also lasts ofdifferent curvature on the surface of the sole, and whereby-that is, bythe adjustment of the table relatively to the sewing mechanismtheneedle, in working on lasts of different curvatures and heights, is madeto enter the leather of the sole at the bottom of the in ner channel g,(see Fig. 6,) and come out at the angle of the outer channel h, or,where the leather is not prepared with an outer channel so that theneedle will come out at a propel and like distance from the outer edgeof the sole. The last-holder c is a carriage, which rests on the surfaceof the table I), so as tc slide thereon in any direction required. Thereis a hole made in the upper part of the last t-c fit a perpendicularstud,j. This pinj is fitted to and secured in a socket in an adj nstablebase, j, by a set-screw; but itmay be permanently secured. The basej isfitted to the surface ot the carriage, so that it can'be shifted andsecured at a different distance from the end to suit large and smalllasts. Toward the other end the carriage is provided with ways I), inwhich a base-block, 0 can slide toward or from the pin j. A crutch, it,of a suitable shape to bear up against the inverted instep of the last,is formed with a cylindrical stem, d fitted tc slide up and down in asocket in the base block 0", and a projection, e ,.from the side 0:

this stem bears on the periphery of a cam,-f on ashort arbor, 9 mountedin the baseblock, and provided with a handle, 704, so that the operator,by turning the arbor, causes the cam f to lift the crutch, and thusforce it up against the instep of the last; and .as the lastis fittedonto the pin j, before described, the last, by so forcing the toe end,becomes firmly secured to the carriage. To secure thebase-block of thecrutch at any desired distance from the pinj there is another cam, it,on the arbor 9 which acts on the upper end of a spring-clip, 0 (see Fig.13,) to force it down into contact with the upper surface of thecarriage; and the form of the two cams f and "i and their position onthe arbor should be such that by the turning of the arbor g thebase-block is first secured in position before the crutch 7c is forcedup against the instep of the last. The sewing mechanism is mounted on aplate, 1, the rear part of which is free to vibrate on the cam-shaft m,which is to be rotated in the direction of the arrow. The forward end ofthis plate is guided in its movements up and down by the vertical sidepieces of the frame, and it is suspended by a strap, 12, (shown, also,by red lines in Figs. 6 and 7,) to the periphery of a wheel, 0, (seedotted lines in Fig. 1,) on a short shaft, 1), provided with acrankhandle, g, which is held by a spring-catch, 1",

I when the mechanism is to be held up, or when a shoe is to be removedand another substituted; but after a shoe and last-holder are put intothe machine the spring-catch r is pushed back to liberate thecrank-handle q, and permit the mechanism to rest by its weight on thesole of the boot or shoeto be sewed, that it may be free to follow theundulations thereof.

A metal stock, 8, Figs. 6, 7, and 8, is firmly secured to the plate I,and formed to extend below said plate. To'the front of this stock ishinged the upper end of an arm, t, the inner face of the lower end ofwhich forms the gage a, against which the edge of the sole and margin ofthe upper of the shoe to be sewed is pressed, to guide it relatively tothe needle as it is moved along by the feeder. (See Fig. 6.) Said guidehas a perforation, *0, in it for the point of the needle to passthrough, and another hole for the passage of a threaded stem, to, whichprojects from the stock 8, and which is provided with a nut, so, bymeans of which the said gage can be adjusted relatively to a rest, 3 tobe presently described, to suit the distance between the bottom of thechannel g and the outer edge of the sole. This adjustment can beeffected by turning the nut as with the fingers, but preferably by meansof a bevel-wheel, k, on the body of the nut, and a like bevel-wheel, l,on a short arbor, m, provided with a thumb-and-finger wheeha, said arborbeing mounted in suitable bearings projecting from the front edge of theplate Z, and in an inclined position, so that the thumband-finger wheelwill be in a convenient position to be operated by the attendant whilehe rests his hand on the corner of the plate 1, to insure its propermovements up and down as the guides follow the undulations of the sole.There are two rests, y and z, fitted to slide, one on each side of thesaid stock 8. They are hinged at their upper ends to a crossbalance-lever, a that is free to vibrate on a fulcram-pin, b secured toa vertical slide. b fitted in the stock 8, so that when either of therests rises or descends the other mustmove to an equal extent in theopposite direction. The lower ends of these-rests are formed to bear onthe sole 0 (see Fig. 6) of the shoe, so that it can slide under them,and, as they rest on the sole, and are borne down by the weight of theplate I and mechanism carried by it,

assisted, if necessary, by the hand of the oper ator, or by a spring oradditional weight,

they can adapt themselves to the undulations of the sole; and as theneedle works midway between the two, and in the plane of their undersurfaces in every position in the sole they are made to assume, theyeffectually guide the needle, so that it shall at all times be at therequired elevation to enter the leather of the sole at the right place,which, in case of the sole havingdouble channels, is the bottom of theinner channel g. The slide b that carries the balance-lever 0, to whichsaid rests are hinged, is raised or lowered by turning an eccentricwristpin, b or by any other suitable means, whereby the rests are sethigher or lower, to adapt them to lasts of difierent sizes andcurvatures.

If both guides or rests were formed like the one 1 to enter, and, withtheir beveled edges,

to bear against the bottom of the inner channel got the sole, and toperform, in addition to the duty above described, the further offices ofkeeping the channel open, and of resisting the pull of the needle intightening the stitch during its back movement, they would present thefollowing difficulties To admit of sewing around the usual curves at theheel and toe, the two rests require to be within a short distance ofeach other, for, if placed too far apart, the curved parts of the solecould not pass between them and the gage, and, when placed within apractical distance to avoid this difficulty, the one on the off sideconflicts with the loop of thread which connects the last-formed stitchwith the one which is being formed. Two such illStllll'llQlltS areindispensable to the guiding of the needle, that its point may enter atthe bottom of the channel in following the undulations of the sole. Tomeet all necessary requirements, therefore, they are so formed andlocated that one of them, y, fits into and bears against the bottom ofthe channel 9, and the other one, 2,

on the off side stands back some distance from thebottom of the channel,but so that it shall rest on the surface of the sole. In this way it ismade to answer the purpose of a balance to the one which rests againstthe bottom of the channel, that the point of the needle may be'properlyguided along to foladvantages.

low the undulations of the sole, while at the same time it avoids allconflict with the loop of thread, and admits of sewing along any curve,however small, and even around an angle, as in sewing sqnarc-toed shoes.

The needle 6 has a hook near its point, and is of a curved and taperingcharacter, so that it operates as an awl to pierce the leather, as wellas a device to carry the thread or loop through the same in its returnstroke or action. Its tapering or eccentric form has many It is madeflat on the side of the cast-0E f and the latter is made of like form,so that the faces of the two may work in contact, but without anyinterlocking tongue and groove, so that on tightening the stitch theneedle may spring independently of the cast-off. The said" cast-off ispointed, so that when it advances to cover the hook of the needle it mayenter the leather easily, to close the hook before it, (the hook,) onthe back motion of the needle, reaches the loop which is to be cast off;and as this loop is at,

the time lying on the surface of the sole, and below the needle andcast-off, it is important that the cast-off should be brought to a pointfrom the under side; otherwise, in advancing to close the hook of theneedle its point would.

be liable to catch onto the thread of the loop, particularly in sewingalong the upgrade, as on one side along the shank of the sole from theheel part forward, where the surface of the sole inclines upward. Thestocks g i of the needle and cast-01f are both mounted on a fulcrum-pin,j so as to vibrate thereon, the inner faces of both being concentricwith this fulcrum-pin, and their outer surfaces eccentric thereto, whiletheir contiguous faces move in contact. The two stocks 9 11 are securedin a recess in one arm of a bent lever, 70 and connected therewith bythe fulcrum-pinj and this lever 70 is mounted on two hangers, Z P, theaxis of vibration being back of the fulcrum-pinj and a little below thehorizontal plane thereof, for a purpose to be presently described.

The in-and-out motions of the needle are derived from an eccentric, m,on the shaft m. The rod a (see Fig. 2) from the eccentrio is connectedwith the needle-stock by a lever, 0 and connecting-rod p. The motions ofthe cast-off are derived from a cam groove, (1 Fig. 2, on the sameshaft, which cam acts on one arm of a lever, r, the other arm of whichis connected with the stock 1' of the cast-off by means of a connectingrod, 8. The periods of the relative motions of the needle and thecast-off are such that the needle advances a certain distance while thecastotf stands still to allow the loop to get out of the needle-hook,and then the cast-off follows the needle in its forward motion, to getbetween the loop so liberated and the hook, and that its point may enterthe leather a short distance and there stop the needle, in its continuedforward motion, then passes through the leatheruntil its hook is carriedsufficiently through the material and the hole "0 in the outside gage ato receive the thread, which is delivered into the book by thethreadcarrier. Theneedle then moves back,drawing the thread through themateriah and as soon as the hook is covered by the cast-off the two movetogether to the end of the back motion.

The new loop of thread being inclosed by the cast-off in the hook of theneedle, it is drawn through the previously-formed loop, which, by thecontinued back motion, is drawn up to tighten the previously-formedstitch. As the needle enters, and for a portion of its passage throughthe leather, its point has a depressing motion given it, and for thebalance of its forward stroke is lifted, and remains raised during itsreturn. This is effected by hinging the rear arm a of the bent lever 70to the short arm of a lever, 12, Fig. 6, that works on a fulcrum-pin, w,and the other arm is provided With a pin, fitted to a cam groove (seedotted black lines in Fig. 2) in the face of a cam-wheel, 00 on theshaft m, (see Fig. 2,) whereby the fulcrum-pin on which the stocks ofthe needle and cast-off vibrate is elevated and depressed as required.

The thread f passes through an eye in the thread carriery which vibrateson a fulcrum, z on the gage a, through which the thread also passes,said carrier serving to carry the thread so that it may be caught by thebook of the needle, to do which the carrier is vibrated to pass from oneside of the needle under it, and around to the other side a shortdistance above the needle as the latter is ad vancing, after which itmoves back again. This is done byconnecting the carrier, through a rod,a with a vertical slide, b the upper end of which is connected, by twojoint-links, with one arm, 0 of a rock-shaft, 01 which has another armwith a pin fitted to a cam-groove, 0 in the cam-wheel g on the cam-shaftbefore described.

The thread from a spool, 9 mounted on the plate Z,passes around atension'wheelflt and down through a flue i attached to the plate l, andaround another guide, j at the lower end of this flue, and from thistoand through the eye of the thread-carrier. The front plate of thisline i is hinged to give access to the thread. To the lower end of thisflue is suspended a lamp, 70 with a conical cap, 1 over the burner, saidcap having two branch pipes, m -one to direct the heat into the flue togradually heat the wax on the thread as it is descending, and the otherto direct the heat to the eye of the thread-carrier y, to prevent thewax from clogging said eye.

To adapt the machine to the sewing of Welted shoes or boots there iscombined with the sewing mechanism a Welt-guide, 72 (see Fig. 8,) whichconsists of a mortise of snffiicient size to receive and permit the welto to pass through. The arm of this guide is placed by the side of thesewing mechanism, near to the needle. It is hinged, by its upper end, tothe stock 8, so as to be self'adapting in position.

After the welt has been introduced and the first stitch taken, the stripof welt will be drawn through the guide-mortise as wanted by the feedingmotion applied to the sole. As it is hinged to the machine, when themachine is used for sewing turned shoes it is turned up out of the way.

To adapt the feed to the undulations of the sole, so as to preserve auniformity in the stitches, the feeding-pawl (1 (see Fig. 7) is providedwith side pins r not far from where the pawl is hinged to the lever 8from which it receives its reciprocatingmotion. These pins work incam-like slots t in the lower end of a hanger, 10 the slots being ofsuch form that when the pawl acts on an, upward inclination, as at '0Fig. 11, it will act on the sole through the whole throw of itsoperating-lever. When it acts on a level part of the sole, as at w", inmoving back and forth, the pins ride part of the way on the lower partofthe camslot, so that the acting part of the pawl clears the sole-for apart of the throw of the lever, and after the required range of lostmotion has been attained the pawl then acts on the sole, and continuesso to act, giving the required extent of motion to space the stitch; andin acting on a reversed inclined surface, as at 00 during the back andforward motions, the pins ride on the'bottom of the slot for a greaterportion of the throw of the lever, that there may be more lostmotion. Inthis way are the stitches spaced equally along the whole of theundulating surface of the sole. The upper end of the lever 8 whichactuates the feedingpawl, is hinged to a standard, 3 of the plate 6, andthis lever is connected by a rod, 2 with one arm of a leverfcfi, Fig. 1,which vibrates horizontally on a fulcrum-pin attached to the under sideof the plate I, the other arm of the said lever being acted upon by acam-groove, b (see Fig. 3,) on the shaft m; and as this lever receivesat all times an equal range of motion, and it is desirable at times tovary the spacing of the stitches, the rod 2 is made to pass through ahole in the lever (0 and is provided with an adjusting-nut, 0 so thatthe lever a gives the feeding motion to the pawl by striking the nut con the rod 2 (see Fig.

1,) and the feeding-pawl is drawn back by a spring, 01 so that the rangeof feeding motion can be regulated by the set of the nut 0 To adjust theposition of the feeding-pawl relatively to the, cam-slots t so that therange of lost motion, and the position of the point of the pawlrelatively to the rest, may be adjusted, the said cam-slots are formedin the lower end of the hanger a which is hinged by its upper end to thesame standard, 3 to which the lever s is hinged, and that end of theconnecting-rod e which is hinged to the lever s is slotted to embracethe hanger a Back of the hanger a is a set-screw, 6 (see Fig. 7,) whichacts as a stop to the back motion of the hanger. When the spring d pullsback the feeding-hand the hanger a is drawn back'at the same time by theback of the camslot striking the pin 1" on the pawl until stopped by thesetscrew 0 so that the range of the lost motion of the feeding-pawl canbe adjusted by -'one set-screw, and the range of direct motion adjustedby the nut 0 On the back movement of the needle and the tightening ofthe stitch, the tendency is to lift the edge of the sole, and, if solifted, the needle, in makingits next penetration in passing through theleather, would come out too near that surface of the sole next to thelast; and when the needle has passed through the sole, and comes incontact with that portion of the upper through which the stitching is tobe made, the point of the needle pushes it back against the outsidegage.

From this it follows that the needl'epasses through the upper so near tothe outer edge of the sole that on the back motion of the needle, indrawing the stitch, the upper cannot be drawn into the angle of theouter channel It without too great a strain on the parts. To avoid thesedifficulties I employ what may be termed a depressor and holder]? whichmay be simply a short lever, 1", (see Fig. 8*,) that vibrates on afulcrum-pin, t in the lower part of the arm t, and so formed that itsacting end, when depressed, willbear on, and not only depress the edgeof the sole in close proximity to the needle, and just before the needleadvances, andhold it down until the needle has completed its backmotiou,lout also forces and holds the upper in the channel-way in theposition required when sewed, so that when the stitches are drawn tightthe upper will not be strained.

The outer end of this depressor and holder Q is connected by ajoint-link, 8 to one arm of a rockshaft, t the other arm of which isconnected by another link, a with a spring, c attached to the arm 0 ofthe rock-shaft 6?, so that the required motions are derived therefrom,and the sole purpose of interposing the spring is that it may yield,instead of breaking or straining the parts, if at any time there shouldbe some impediment.

As pressure is made against the sole to keep it down, and allthe sewingmechanism is attached to the plate l,-which rides on the sole, there isa tendency to lift the plate. It is important to prevent this tendencyto lift before and at the time the needle is entering the leather;otherwise the needle will be liable to enter the leather at too high apoint. To prevent this I lock the plate l just before the depressor andbolder makes pressure onthe edge of the sole. The special mechanism toeffect this important result consists of a segmentrack, w, permanentlyattached to the frame, and extending down through a mortise in the plate1., and the cogs of this rack engage the cogs of a pinion, 00, (see Fig.2,) on the shaft of a stop or brake wheel, 1 mounted in suitablebearings in the plate Z. The periphery of this wheel prefer to have madewith fine teeth; but a rough surface may be substituted.

It will be seen that when the stop-wheelis locked or held so that itcannot turn, the plate Z cannotbe moved either up or down; but when thewheel is unlockedthe plate I will be free to move. The brake-wheel islocked bya lockbolt, 2, (see Fig. 3,) which is forced into the teeth oragainst the roughened surface by the tension of a spring, a but as theplate must be free to move during the feeding motion, that it may takeposition for the next succeeding stitch, the lever a which gives motionto the feeding-pawl, is connected by a rod, b with an arm of abell-crank, 0 (see Fig. 3,) the other arm of which is, in turn,connected with the sliding lock-bolt 2, so that when the feeding motiontakes place the lock-bolt is drawn from and liberates the stop-wheel,and as soon as the feeding-lever returns the wheel is firmly locked tohold the plate. It is desirable that the operator should have control ofthis mechanism, as he will frequently have occasion to lift the plate Ito take off a finished shoe and put in another, and for other purposes.As it may be necessary to do this when the feeding-lever a is in theposition required for locking the stop-wheel, means have been providedto meet such emergencies.

The connection of the feeding-lever a with the rod 11 is by a pin, whichis free to slide in an elongated slot, as at d (see Fig. 3,) and thestrap a, by which the plate Z can be lifted by the attendant, has abranch, 6 connected with one arm of a bell-crank, f the other arm ofwhich is connected with the rod 19 so that in the very act of turningthe wheel 0 to lift the plate Z the lock-bolt z is drawn back toliberate the stop or brake wheel.

Connected with the cam-shaft m is an indicator, m to register the amountof work done by the machine. It is preferred to so gear the indicatorwith said shaft as that either may be detached and removed, for repairor otherwise, without disturbing the other. This may longitudinally or.vertically without interfering with the other. I

Having described my invention for sewing by mechanism soles tothe uppersof shoes and boots which are-to be turned after being sewed, and also asadapted to the sewing of the upper and welt to an inner sole for bootsand shoes which are not to be turned, what I here claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-' 1. The means hereinbefore described forsecuring the last to the carriage, consisting of the combination of thecrutch, its base-block, adjustable in ways on the carriage, andthemechanism for operating the crutch and securing its base block in anydesired position 011 the carriage to suit lasts of different sizes,substantially as described; and these I also claim in combination withthe pin which enters a hole in the last, and the base of which isadjustable longitudinally on the carriage for different lengths of last,as described.

2. In combination with the guide for directing the edge of the sole andholding the upper in position, the means herein described to enable theoperator to adjust its position with the thumb and finger while his handrests on the movable plate, to which the sewing mechanism is attached,as herein described.

3. In combination with the self-adapting plate, to which the sewingmechanism is attached, the mechanism, substantially as herein described,for holdingthe said plate in a fixed position at the time the needleenters the sole, and for liberating it, that it may be self-adapting tothe undulations of the sole during the feeding motion.

4:. The self adapting rests,.which ride or bear on the sole, hung orsupported substantially as described, and adjustable, to adapt them tolasts of dift'erentsizes and curvatures, substantially as specified.

- MICHAEL J. STEIN.

Witnesses:

J. M. DIXON, J. W. OooMBs.

